The day has finally come

by Anne

Tonight the Los Angeles Kings will play host to the Buffalo Sabres.

This blog is in TURMOIL.

I can't look

OK, ok, you guys are right, I should just calm down and watch the game. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

Please just don't hurt each other.

Everyone Loves San Jose So Much, They Forget Detroit is Really Scary Too

by Anne

All over the NHL, analysts are losing their minds over San Jose and Boston. As they should. Both teams had excellent first halves of the season and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. However, there's this pesky little team in Michigan that's not getting as much love. Last season was all about Detroit as they were destroying every team in sight, all the way to Lord Stanley in June.

League standings as of this afternoon, not including Boston's assured victory over Carolina (its 5-0 Bruins in the 2nd right now)

1. San Jose: 40 Games, 30-5-5, 65 pts
2. Boston: 41 Games, 30-7-4, 64 pts
3. Detroit: 40 Games, 28-7-4, 61 pts

The Red Wings are the highest scoring team in the league and lead the league in average goals per game. I'd say they'd warrant a little more air time than say, the collapse that's happening in Pittsburgh. Not that anyone is saying the Red Wings aren't good, but all the 'OMG THESE GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE' seems to be reserved for Boston and San Jose. Maybe its because its just assumed that Detroit is going to be awesome, and analysts are just tired of talking about how great Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Co. are.

Let's take a positive spin on the stats, shall we?

• Tonight could be the first time all season the Sabres win both games in back to back nights
  
• Detroit is 1-3-0 this season against North East Division opponents, including losing their season opener at home against the Maple Leafs
• Chris Butler will be back in the line-up tonight, Miller will get the start in front of the hometown crowd
• Just think, this time last year, we were mired in the midst of a 10 game win-less streak and Derek Roy had no shoulder and Drew Stafford had a concussion and Max had a groin injury... ok well somethings don't change
• We won the last regular season game we played at the Joe, a 3-2 shootout win in October of 2006 when we were also in the midst of a winning streak
• Uhhhhhh, Detroit is more dying than Buffalo
• Boston is currently cremating Carolina 5-0 in the 2nd, keeping them off our heels a little in the standings, provided Boston doesn't have the collapse of the decade.
• Someone decided referencing Robin Hood's lady love would be a good idea while discussing Marian Hossa's new place in Detroit:

I think this means Henrik Zetterberg is Robin Hood and Ray Shero is the Sheriff of Nottingham. Gary Bettman is clearly Prince John.

Another reminder about tonight's bloggers get-together and some clarification.

Technically we will be at J.J.'s Sports Bar which is in Casa di Pizza. Basically, when you walk into Casa, go in the door to the right where the bar is. Good times. Hopefully we'll see some of y'all there!

Ok I Have to Say It

by Anne

I've been thinking about it all day and last night too...

We beat the Habs who are all "Wooooo, look at us celebrating our centennial and being all swaggery and 'We finished first in the East last season." Which felt GREAT.

Then we beat the Islanders who are all "We lost half of our top 6 scorers, our pricey starting goaltender hasn't played since the Nixon administration and we couldn't block a shot if our own mother was the goaltender." WHICH WAS AWESOME.... but should've been expected.

Now we're about to play a team that looks to be the new "AHHHH THESE GUYS ARE EFFING SCARY" in the East and I hate them already. I mean, I hated them before this season, and I hate them even more now that they haven't yet lost a game AND THEY'VE ALREADY PLAYED 5 GAMES AND CHRIS DRURY (BARF) IS THEIR CAPTAIN.

Things to worry about:

Ummmm, they haven't lost yet.

They're 100% on the penalty kill and our power play is... less than inspired

They've won all 5 games in regulation

I hate them and their gross captain

This Voros guy seems like kind of a d-bag


Things that make them seem less "AHHHH!! JUST COVER YOUR HEAD AND HOPE RYAN MILLER DOESN'T DIE!":

They beat the Tampa Bay Lighting who gave up a franchise record setting 126 shots on goal in THREE GAMES. YO. YO. YOOOOO. That's TERRIBLE

They also beat the Blackhawks who have yet to win a game.

They also beat the Phlyers who have yet to win a game.

Our penalty kill is also 100% at the moment and their PP isn't a whole lot better than ours

We're pretty even on Shots per Game and Shots Allowed per Game

Sean Avery is gone, Jaromir Jagr is gone


Ok so when put in those terms, they seem less scary. They haven't been facing teams that are playing that well early on in the season.

The Rangers have to lose sometime, right? Can it pleeeeeeeease be Wednesday?!?

Sidenote, the head honchos at Bravo and the NHL need to get together and NOT SCHEDULE HOCKEY GAMES DURING PROJECT RUNWAY'S BIG FINALE.

I'm seriously torn between watching the boys and watching the fashion. WWDRD? (What Would Derek Roy do?)... ok the sheer fact that I'm not sure which show Derek Roy would watch is making me a little nervous. The people I watch Runway with do not enjoy hockey (srsly, why am I friends with these people?) so there won't be much switching between for them. I'm so TORN.

Leanne

ILU and If You Win I'll be 2/3 of the way through my "I Choose You To Win Based on Nothing" Campaign of 2008
Part 1: Stephanie from Top Chef
Part 2: The Tampa Bay Rays (I declared they'd have a winning season and make the playoffs in March, NO JOKE)



Ew.

ALACK AND FIE.


p.s. This dude who was temporarily my BFF (not by my choosing) in one of my classes is sitting in the Study Quad right now and he's so loud I might punch him in the face. If you hear about an assault in the library on Buff State's campus, just go ahead and assume its me.